Directing your Words

 The tongue is the greatest of blessings when wisely and lovingly used, but it becomes the greatest curse when it is unkindly and dishonestly used." A. Purnell Bailey

The smell of port-a johns lingers like the stab of words that hurt. 

I can be a lot. 

The older I get, the better I am at not only reading a room but also reigning myself in. I'm like a wrecking ball of energy when I am in a place of comfort. 

The traffic director let me have his flag and direct
 traffic when my friends came through!!

I had just finished running Bastille 15K in Fenton Saturday morning. My endorphins were on tilt when I jumped in my truck to head out for a group run with our running club, Complete Runner. I had double booked myself. 

From Fenton to Holly Rec, I smiled as I recollected my last 9 miles. I never planned to race it but I also didn't plan to pace Miah, my friend's daughter. It would be her LONGEST distance in her 13-year-old self and she would place 1st in her age group. I loved pacing her.

I miss coaching and it felt so good to encourage her to the finish line.  

Miah Floating to the Finish. 

I pulled into Holly Rec and the parking lot was hopping. All the cars, all the people, and all my energy was bubbling over. 

I had planned to meet them for the final 6-mile loop, but since the day was already going unexpected why would I be shocked they were actually doing a 9-mile loop. 

"Suck it up buttercup" I thought to myself. Smile and stay positive is the best reaction and it usually expresses the best outcome.

We had about 9 of us running single file into the Wilderness Loop. 

We were running in my wild and overgrown playground.  

We ran and chatted with many different conversations going. 

I am like a kid, hyper, outspoken, ridiculous, immature and a little goofy. Ryan was talking about his middle schoolers and their creative writing skills. We got chatting about my writing and Ryan says, "I love that Anita blogs..." 

I responded "...Because NO ONE blogs anymore!" He was very kind saying he enjoyed reading my blog, they made him laugh. 

Surprised by this, I then added "..if you can get pass my grammatical errors..." 

The thing about the whole conversation came down to THIS...He was so encouraging and genuinely kind. 

Ryan could look beyond the imperfections of my writing and read it for what it was and is. 

He is a teacher and yet he wasn't judging my writing skills or spelling mess ups. He wasn't shaming my writing or teasing, he was actually doing quite the opposite. 

When we finished, I was just steps behind him. I was determined to stay close even though I was pooping out. We were the only two still running together, everyone else took different routes and different paces. This was the farthest Ryan had ever run on trails and he was sweating like a stuck pig but he NEVER complained and even finished with a smile, still encouraging me. 

We were all a mess of perspiration and stink but as we all gathered together under the Complete Runner tent, we collectively laughed at one another, teasing and goofing off together. 

We should have a tribe that builds each other up, not tearing one another apart. 

"Every deed, whether good or evil, was conceived in the thought process of the mind." Lindsay Terry

THREATENED:

"This is what you do when you feel threatened by others..."

 Andy and I were watching a show after our run. There was a scene where the gal was complaining about her husband's friends when he looked at her very soberly in the eyes and said, "This is what you do when you feel threatened by others..."

SOO GOOD!! 

SOO CONVICTING. 

I see this all the time. When we feel threatened, we misbehave. We gossip, we slander, we say something sideways to make ourselves feel better. 

It might not be about a person at all. It could be about a opportunity you never got or a vacation you couldn't go on, a slew of things. 

We all feel threatened by something or someone. 

This is a gentle reminder to be comfortable in my own skin. 

To be GRATEFUL for my abundant life. To be SECURE in my surroundings. To SHINE confidently with KINDNESS, with GRACE for others and above all LOVE. 

LOVE Yourself and LOVE others. Like me directing traffic, I have to remind myself to DIRECT my words with Kindness, encouraging others the same way I like to be encouraged!1 

Andy, enjoying some watermelon after his long run with CRU. 

  "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.

1Peter 3:10

In Peace, Not Pieces, 

Anita~